


In the Eye of the Beholder

by YumeArashi



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Gen, Non-sexual, Nudity, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-24
Updated: 2013-01-24
Packaged: 2017-11-26 17:43:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/652803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YumeArashi/pseuds/YumeArashi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to "Worth a Thousand Words".  Leonardo has seen Ezio naked, now Ezio gets his own glimpse of Leonardo equally bared.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Eye of the Beholder

“This is lovely countryside,” Leonardo remarked to Ezio as the carriage rolled leisurely along the pastoral road in the hot summer sun.  “Thank you for coming with me, it would have been a long trip to this patron by myself.”

“It is nothing, I was headed that way.  Though I am surprised you wanted me along after last time,” Ezio replied.

Leonardo smiled ruefully.  “That was a bit of an adventure, wasn’t it?  I am sorry I was so useless on that occasion.”

Ezio waved off the apology.  “I would not have wanted you involved in the fight in any event.  Hopefully this ride will be a bit more peaceful.”

Leonardo looked around, considering the landscape.  “There is not much cover here, it would be far more difficult for anyone to ambush or lay traps for us.”

Ezio looked a bit surprised that his friend would have thought of something like that.  “That is true.  Though it can only take one archer,” he grimaced, remembering an unfortunate incident in Forli.

“True,” Leonardo said sympathetically.  “Look there, though,” he pointed down the road a little ways ahead.  A small river curled lazily through the countryside off to one side of the road, open farmland on either side save for one lone tree spreading its branches at the water‘s edge.  “We could stop there for lunch, the shade will be pleasant and there should be a cool breeze coming off the water.”

Ezio nodded approvingly.  “And we’d see any enemies long before they could get within even a bowshot.  I like the way you think.”

They stopped the carriage and unpacked the food they’d brought, taking it down to the river and setting it out on the cool grass.  Ezio finished his meal long before Leonardo, who was explaining his latest project between bites and occasionally gesticulating with whatever he had in hand at the moment, to Ezio’s great amusement. 

The assassin lay back once he was done, contentedly listening to his friend with half an ear.  This wide-open place allowed him the closest thing to true relaxation he could afford these days. 

Even in the shade, though, it was swelteringly hot, and he eyed the cool water pensively.  He sat up as Leonardo was packing away the remains of their food, causing the inventor to look over curiously as Ezio undid the clasp on his cloak.  “I’m going for a swim,” Ezio explained, shedding his suffocating clothes layer by layer.  “Join me?”

Leonardo reddened.  “Ah, I think not, I’ll just stay here.  I can keep an eye out for you.”

Ezio paused in shucking off his pants, shameless in his lack of modesty.  “What’s wrong?  The river is slow and too small to likely be very deep, and I know you can swim.  You said that one time that anyone who lives in Venezia without learning how would be a fool.”

“I’m not afraid of drowning, I just don’t feel like a swim right now.”

“How can you not?  You have to be at least as overheated as I am, this is one of the hottest days I can remember.”

“I’m fine,” Leonardo shrugged, and Ezio’s eyes narrowed.

“Surely you cannot be shy?  We are all men here, you have nothing I have not seen before.”

“Even if I were a woman, I’d have nothing you hadn’t seen before,“ Leonardo retorted.  “And why not?  Next to you, any man would make a poor showing.”

“Nonsense, you must know that you are a beautiful man, Leonardo.  Everyone in Italia knows that.”

Leonardo said nothing, and Ezio looked at him curiously.  “You truly do not know, do you,” he realized.  “You see beauty everywhere and yet you can see none at all in yourself?”

“There is nothing to see,” Leonardo insisted stubbornly.

Ezio sighed and shook his head.  “Come, let me tell you what I see when I look at you, si?”

Leonardo nodded uneasily, reluctantly disrobing and settling on the grass, one hand covering his modesty.  Ezio looked at him thoughtfully, making the artist squirm and shift uncomfortably, wondering if Ezio had felt the same way when Leonardo had sketched him.  And yet the dark eyes were not judging, not mocking nor disgusted nor hungry with want.  The gaze was almost gentle in its consideration, and Leonardo was able to relax just a little.

“You must have a peculiar blind spot in your usually keen vision, amico, to think yourself unhandsome,” Ezio announced after a moment, sitting beside the artist.  “You are strong and lean and well-proportioned, with just enough softness in the lines of your body to be appealing.  Your skin would be the envy of half the women in Venice, so smooth and unmarked.  Much better than my scarred old hide,” he smiled.  “Your hair, too, is finer and silkier than most women’s I have known.  You have very elegant hands, long and slender and graceful.  Your coloring is exotically fair, from your pale skin to your blue eyes and tawny gold hair.  Your face is quite handsome, and you have a beautiful smile, always genuine, never feigned.  It is your eyes I have always liked best, though.  Bright and sharp, so full of curiosity and knowledge, so open and honest.  Truly, windows to your soul.” 

By now Leonardo was quite a bright red with the praise, and Ezio laughed and added, “And such a charming blush to set it all off.  Like a maiden receiving her first kiss.”

“Idiot!” Leonardo indignantly shoved him with his free hand.

Ezio allowed himself to topple over in the grass, chuckling.“Truly, though, you are innocent and pure in my eyes, and that is precious to me.” 

Leonardo frowned at that comment, but Ezio didn’t give him time to protest, his smile replaced by a sober expression.  “Everyone else around me is much like myself.  They may not have as many sins on their soul as I, but their hands are dirty too.  Good men and women, but killers and thieves and whores nonetheless.  You are honest and gentle and kind, when I am with you I can take a step away from all of that.  You are my link - my lifeline - to everything I gave up when I became what I am.”

Leonardo was speechless at the quiet admission, and Ezio gave him a wry smile.  “I am a poor friend, I know.  I only visit when I have need of something from you.  And yet you give your support unfailingly, loyal and uncomplaining in the face of my selfishness.  I have never told you how grateful I am, not once.  I would say that it is because there are no words sufficient to encompass my gratitude, and that would be true.  But really I am just a thoughtless bastardo, and you - you are the best man I know.  The best man I _could_ know, even had things been different.”

“I am glad of anything I can do to help,” Leonardo found his voice, unable to let that go without answer.  “I know that you cannot have many friends, so I do not begrudge whatever I can do for you.”

“I do not need many friends,” Ezio smiled and sat up, offering Leonardo his hand.  “I have you.  Shall we have that swim now?”


End file.
